I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to desktop tools for the provisioning and management of package delivery.
II. Description of Related Art
The management of parcel shipping data within a company, regardless of the size of the company, is an important function. By efficiently managing and using parcel shipping data, the company can save significant transaction and overhead costs. To that end, carriers have developed and deployed numerous software tools that enable their customers to access shipping data more efficiently than ever before. For example, United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (“UPS”) has launched a web-based service called MY UPS.COM™ to provide customers with internet shipping services, enhanced tracking services, supply order services, etc., through an automated system that provides requested information in real time.
While such tools are an improvement over prior art systems and methods, these tools still require the user to perform numerous steps to obtain certain shipping information. For example, a user working on a spreadsheet document or word processor document may identify within that document a tracking number associated with a certain parcel for which the user wishes to obtain shipping information such as the status of the parcel's delivery. In order to obtain this information, the user typically has to open their internet browser application, go to a particular web site provided by the carrier, possibly log into the web site and then either type or copy/paste the tracking number into the appropriate web page. The web site then processes the tracking number and then presents the requested shipping information to the user via a web page interface. If the user then wishes to place some or all of the shipping information into the spreadsheet or word processor document, then the user must copy that information from the internet browser application and paste it into the document in which they are working, often creating formatting problems in the document.
Accordingly, there is a yet unsatisfied need in the industry for further reducing the steps required by a user to obtain and process shipping data.